Correct Answer :   IndiGo

---

IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, has placed a record order with European manufacturer Airbus for 500 A320 Family aircraft.

It is the biggest single purchase agreement in the history of commercial aviation.
 
This IndiGo order book comprises a mix of A320NEO, A321NEO and A321XLR aircraft. The airline will take the delivery of these aircraft between 2030 and 2035.

The agreement takes the total number of Airbus aircraft on order by IndiGo to 1,330, making it the world’s biggest A320 Family customer.

Earlier this year, Tata-owned Air India placed orders for 470 aircraft from Airbus and US manufacturer Boeing.

In all likelihood, we might not see a total of 500 aircraft being deployed into revenue service in India, effective deployment of fleet will remain at the 300 to 350 level with the remaining aircraft on order being structured as part of fleet replacement cycle every 7 or 10 years," said Mark M Martin, CEO of Martin Consulting.

The purchase agreement was signed by Rahul Bhatia, Promoter & Managing Director of IndiGo, Dr Venkataramani Sumantran, Chairman and Non-Executive Independent Director of IndiGo, Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO, and Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, at the Paris Air Show 2023.

“It is difficult to overstate the significance of IndiGo’s new historic order for Airbus 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft. An order book of now almost 1000 aircraft well into the next decade, enables IndiGo to fulfil its mission to continue to boost economic growth social cohesion, and mobility in India,” said Pieter Elbers.

New Delhi-based IndiGo holds a 60% market share in the Indian airlines industry. “Today IndiGo operates over 300 aircraft and has previous orders totaling 480 aircraft which are yet to be delivered between today and the end of this decade. With this additional firm order of 500 aircraft for 2030-2035, IndiGo’s order book has almost 1.000 aircraft yet to be delivered well into the next decade”, the airline said in its statement...

Source : Outlookindia

Correct Answer :   IUCAA

---

Pune’s Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) has delivered the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Suit will be launched onboard India's maiden mission to explore the Sun — Aditya L-1 — in the coming months. It is one of the seven instruments being launched outside Earth with the mission to unravel the secrets of the Sun.

WHAT IS SUIT?
* The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (Suit), designed by scientists at IUCAA, will study the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) emissions and capture high-resolution images of the Sun's atmosphere, known as the corona, in various UV wavelengths.

* The Sun is one of the most difficult things to study outside Earth due to its high emissions and radiation. With Aditya L-1, India wants to change that and see the star in our Solar System in a new light.

* Suit will enable scientists to explore the dynamic and complex processes occurring in the Sun's outer layers.

* Developed over a span of nearly a decade, Suit will operate in the far and near ultraviolet regions, covering wavelengths of 200-400 nanometers. The instrument will observe the hotter and more dynamic regions of the Sun's atmosphere, such as the transition region and the corona.

* The chromosphere is the layer of the Sun's atmosphere that lies just above the photosphere. The corona is the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere.

* The payload, which has had contributions from over 200 scientists, was first announced by Isro in 2012 and work started on its development in 2016.

* Once in space, it will also explore the dynamics of solar flares, sudden, violent outbursts of energy from the Sun. Isro will use Suit to monitor the Sun's activity and provide early warning of potential solar flares and CMEs, study the interaction between the Sun and the Earth's atmosphere, and try to better understand the role of the Sun in climate change.

* Isro had previously received the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) to be integrated with Aditya L-1 mission. VELC, developed primarily by IIA, will collect data for solving how the temperature of the corona can reach about a million degrees while the Sun’s surface itself stays just over 6,000 degrees Centigrade.

* The corona has so far only been studied during an eclipse when the disk is covered, and Aditya L-1 is aimed at better understanding the mechanism powering the Sun.


WHAT IS ADITYA L-1 MISSION?
* The Aditya L-1 mission is India's maiden mission to observe the Sun and is expected to launch by August this year. It will be launched nearly 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth to Lagrange Point 1 (L1), a stable point where the gravitational forces between the Earth and the Sun, as well as the centrifugal force of the rotating system, balance out.

* Out of the seven payloads, while four will directly view the Sun, three others will carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Pune

---

The Ministry of Education is gearing up to host the 4th Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting in Pune, Maharashtra. The highly anticipated event will take place from June 20th to 21st, 2023, and will witness the participation of 85 delegates from G-20 member countries, guest countries and esteemed organizations such as OECD, UNESCO and UNICEF.

Additionally, Ministers from 15 countries have confirmed their attendance for the Education Ministers' gathering on June 22, 2023, along with senior representatives from UNICEF, OECD and UNESCO.

Ahead of the event, the Secretary of Higher Education Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, and Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy (DOSeL) Shri Sanjay Kumar, interacted with the media during a pre-event press conference. They provided an overview of the ongoing G-20 4th EdWG meeting, Ministerial Meeting, Jan Bhagidari events and precursor events taking place in Pune.

 Shri K. Sanjay Murthy highlighted the successful conclusion of the seminar on 'Accessible Science: Fostering Collaborations', organized in collaboration with IISER, Pune, and ELSEVIER.

He informed that the report titled “The status and relevance of research collaborations for development, considering G20 nations" which was released by MoS for Education Dr. Subhas Sarkar earlier in the day at IISER, Pune, encapsulates essential insights on research collaborations and the surge in India's scientific community. He further shared that a seminar and exhibition will precede the main G20 EdWG Meeting.

The seminar, themed "Ensuring Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, especially in the context of Blended Learning," will be held at Savitribai Phule Pune University on June 19th, 2023. The event will be inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Education and External Affairs Shri Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.

Prof Manjul Bhargava will give a presentation on the topic of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN). The seminar will also include three panel discussions, which are as follows:

i) ‘Teaching Learning Approaches and Pedagogy for FLN in Blended Mode’ to be chaired by Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, DoSEL

ii) ‘Role of Parents, Caregivers and Community Members in supporting FLN (Home Learning), Socio-emotional Skills and Health & Nutrition of Children’ to be chaired by Ms Aditi Das Rout, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development.

iii) ‘Capacity Building and Training of Teachers for FLN in the Context of Multilingualism’ to be chaired by Smt Nidhi Chhibber, Chairperson, CBSE.

The panel discussions will see participation of delegates from Spain, Australia, UAE, Indonesia, South Africa, USA, China, UK, and multilateral organizations like OECD and UNICEF..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Pramod Sawant

---

Chief Minister of Goa "Dr Pramod Sawant" launched the mascot for the upcoming 37th National Games on Sunday (18th June 2023).

The launch ceremony was held at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Taleigao.

It was organized by the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs and the Sports Authority of Goa and held on the occasion of the Goa Revolution Day.

Sports Minister of Goa, Govind Gaude, President of Indian Olympic Association Dr. P.T Usha and Olympic medalist MC Mary Kom were present in the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said like the IFFI, the National Games, too, will be organised in Goa..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Assam

---

Assam Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department launched a web portal for cattle transportation, during a program held in Guwahati on Thursday (15th June 2023).

Aim : To prevent the illegal transportation of cattle

* From now, Livestock farmers and cattle traders can obtain permits required for inter-state transportation of cattle through the website ahvd-cattletrans.assam.gov.in .

* This system is prepared under the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021..

Source : ANI

Correct Answer :   Goa

---

The concluding and last G20 Tourism Working Group meeting along with the Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Goa, 19th June 2023 to 22nd June 2023.

Union Minister For Culture, Tourism And Development Of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Shri G Kishan Reddy addressed  first session of "Making Cruise Tourism a Model for Sustainable and Responsible Travel', in which he highlighted the immense growth potential of the Indian cruise industry.

He said that with 7500 kms of coastline and a vast river system, India is one of the potential cruise tourism destinations with many of its best tourist destinations yet to be disclosed to the world.

On the sidelines of the main Tourism Working Group meeting, involving delegates from G20 member countries, central government Ministries, various State Governments and International Organizations have organized various events.

These include crucial initiatives of Cruise Tourism, Global Tourism Plastic Initiative and Public Private Sector.

The two key deliverables of the Tourism Working Group are Goa Roadmap for tourism as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development goals and G20 Tourism Ministers’ Declaration.

The Ministry of Tourism has made positive progress on finalizing these two key deliverables. The G20 Tourism Working Group meeting and Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Goa aim to strengthen economic growth, preserve cultural heritage, and promote sustainable development of the region..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   June 18

---

The International Day for Countering Hate Speech is marked every year on June 18. It serves as a vital reminder of the urgent need to address the global issue of hate speech.

In a world where communication technologies have amplified their reach and impact, hate speech continues to fuel violence, intolerance, and division.

This day holds great significance as it calls for collective action to counter the spread of divisive rhetoric and promote understanding, respect, and inclusivity.

The Day marked by UN General Assembly recognizes the devastating consequences of hate speech and reaffirms the commitment to human rights and equality.


International Day for Countering Hate Speech 2023 History :

* The International Day for Countering Hate Speech is an important global initiative aimed at addressing the alarming rise of hate speech around the world. In July 2021, the UN General Assembly highlighted the urgent need to combat hate speech. Hence, they adopted a resolution emphasizing the promotion of inter-religious and intercultural dialogue to counter this phenomenon.

* The resolution recognizes that discrimination and hate speech pose significant threats to human rights and social harmony. It calls upon all relevant actors, including States, to intensify their efforts in countering hate speech while adhering to international human rights law.

* This significant day builds upon the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech. This was launched on June 18, 2019. To commemorate the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, the United Nations encourages governments, international organizations, civil society groups, and individuals to organize events and initiatives that promote strategies for identifying, addressing, and countering hate speech.

* It talks about the moral responsibility of each individual to firmly denounce hate speech and contribute to creating a world that values respect, understanding, and inclusivity.


International Day for Countering Hate Speech 2023 Significance :

* The significance of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech lies in its recognition of the devastating consequences of hate speech. It is a day that also shares its commitment to combatting this global issue.

* With the rapid advancement of communication technologies, hate speech has gained a wider reach and impact. The day is significant in recognizing the urgent need to address this growing concern. The United Nations has consistently mobilized efforts to confront hatred in all its forms. By advocating for human rights, promoting the rule of law, and striving for equality and peace, the UN is dedicated to countering hate speech at every level.

* The International Day for Countering Hate Speech serves as a platform to raise awareness and promote strategies that prevent the dissemination of hate speech. It is a day that also highlights its detrimental effects and emphasizes the UN’s commitment to human rights and inclusivity..

Source : News18

Correct Answer :   Kiya.ai

---

India is poised to become a major player in the metaverse technology landscape, as showcased by Kiya.ai, an India-based company specializing in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technology solutions.

At the prestigious VivaTech event held in Paris 2023, Kiya.ai unveiled its version of the metaverse called Bharatmeta, making it the first of its kind from India.

The demonstration took place at the India Pavilion during the event ‘VivaTech’ , which is recognized as Europe's largest annual technology and startup gathering.

With a presence in 12 global offices, Kiya.ai serves more than 550 enterprises across 56 countries, including South-East Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and North America.

Rajesh Mirjankar, the Managing Director and CEO of Kiya.ai, explained that while existing global platforms primarily focus on gaming and virtual goods, his company's emphasis is on enabling the commerce of both physical and virtual products.

This unique approach allows real businesses to embrace metaverse technology and leverage its potential. The metaverse refers to a multi-dimensional digital space that employs virtual reality and augmented reality to provide lifelike experiences to users online.

Mirjankar further highlighted that Bharatmeta offers practical use cases for banking, commerce, culture, and collaboration within the metaverse. Leveraging India's robust digital infrastructure, including digital payments, open commerce and identity systems, Bharatmeta aims to bridge the gap between physical and virtual realms.

Previously, Kiya.ai celebrated the "Azadi Kaa Amrit Mahotsav"  by displaying “Har Ghar Tiranga" on the virtual real estate of Bharatmeta. This virtual experience allowed visitors to witness the Indian flag hoisted on a virtual monument.

"These digital public goods when leveraged by global economies will provide new markets for Indian start-ups," he suggested.

Mirjankar emphasized that Bharatmeta is designed to be inclusive and accessible, catering to users across various devices such as XR headsets, laptops, mobile handsets, and kiosks. This approach ensures that both urban and rural populations can benefit from the metaverse..

Source : ANI

Correct Answer :   Paytm

---

Paytm has introduced a UPI software development kit (SDK) for customers to make payments to online merchants without any failure of the system, suggests reports. UPI SDK assures fail-proof transactions.

* Paytm UPI SDK will let users pay directly from bank accounts through UPI PIN without having to jump between merchant and payment app. Along with Paytm UPI Lite, the company is enhancing two-sided payments, for both merchants and customers.

* In addition, the Paytm UPI SDK is the smallest and lightest in the market, packed with low-code integration, fully customisable UI themes and priority customer support.

* At present, Paytm UPI SDK supports transactions via UPI-linked bank accounts and RuPay credit cards. Soon, it will support UPI Lite to eliminate the possibility of failed payment attempts..

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   Mahendra Nath Pandey

---

* Union minister of heavy industries Mahendra Nath Pandey on Friday (16th June 2023) launched the groundbreaking “Dugdh Sanakalan Sathi Mobile App" in Mussorie, Uttarakhand.

* The app, developed by Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited (REIL), a “Mini Ratna" Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, aims to bring about a significant transformation in the Indian dairy industry by addressing key challenges in the milk collection process.

Aim : This mobile app aims to improve the quality of milk, foster transparency among stakeholders, and streamline operations at the grassroots village level, including milk cooperative societies.

* Expressing his enthusiasm for the initiative the minister stated that ‘Dugdh Sankalan Sathi Mobile App’ will bring transparency, efficiency, and empowerment to all stakeholders involved in the milk collection process, ultimately benefiting the milk producers and contributing to the growth of the dairy sector.

* He reiterated that this application will be contextually active in the field to improve operations at the grassroots level across all partnerships including milk producers, milk co-operative societies, milk organizations and state federations.

* Milk Collection Partner Mobile App will inform all services to milk producers in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu and other languages..

Source : Mint